The original film starred Phoebe Cates as a put-upon young woman whose semi-supernatural imaginary friend Fred (Rik Mayall) causes havoc in her life. (Similarities to the 1988 Tim Burton classic "Beetlejuice" were probably not a coincidence.)

There's no word yet on who will play the human companion to Brand's Fred. The British actor, 33, co-starred in 2008's "Forgetting Sarah Marshall."